Saturday, June 5, 2010

My latest addition to the yard, an Alano sapodilla from Excalibur which I planted last fall, is flowering! This is the difference between buying quality versus skimping (or growing from seed). My other sapodilla which I grew from a seed 2 years ago, is only about 3 feet tall and will probably only fruit in another 5 years.

The bought tree is barely 4 feet tall and already has numerous flowers and will probably bear at least 5 fruit.

5 comments:

I don't know what variety of Sapodilla tre mine is, but it is approx. 50 ft. tall in my backyard. Very sturdy and hardy...huge shade tree. The squirrels always eat the Sapodilla as they fall off. They taste like cinnamon pears, and the only thing I can do with them is cut them up over ice cream...they have a gritty feel to them like pears! Hope you will love yours like we do!!!

Hi,My sapadilla tree is also about 30 or more feet tall. It was p[lanted in 2004. It bears so much fruit and they are delicious, however now I have the problem of the squirrels biting on them even when the fruit is on the tree and is not ripened yet. What can I do to discourage them from eating the fruit.

It may not look great, but those little plastic containers that you buy your cherry tomatoes, strawberries etc in, that clips close, you can wash them and put them over the fruit. The lengths we have to go here in South Florida. We have competition from multiple species of fruit fly, black fly, leaf footed insects, aphids, moth caterpillars, Japanese beetles, Sri Lanka weevils, birds, squirrels, opossoms, rats, raccoons, cats, moles, voles ..... sure I forgot some. Not to mention weeds, poor soil quality, drought, floods.

About Me

I have a healthy obsession with edible plants, especially sub-tropical and rare fruits and any fruiting plants that will grow here. My 2nd obsession is with the tree Aloes of South Africa.
Here's my chronicles of how I am transforming my huge water hogging St. Augustine lawn into a sub-tropical edible paradise - trying to stay within budget. Come here often to check my progress and get tips from someone who's doing it and learning the hard way.